School Information Booklet

Old Wire Road Elementary School

3001 South Old Wire Road

Rogers, AR 72758

479-631-3510

Welcome to the Old Wire Road Elementary. As a professional learning community, we work to create an environment where all children are cherished and develop memories of a safe environment with caring adults and exciting knowledge acquisition,compassion, inspiration and affirmation. We are committed to working together to support each other and each child’s journey.

At Old Wire we celebrate successes and provide enrichment to challenge our children. We discover weaknesses through our consistent assessment and provide remediation. We look at each child and differentiate education to meet the needs of each individual. As we provide the children with what is needed at school, we believe that education also occurs in each home and in the community. In order for our students to achieve the highest levels of achievement possible, you must be involved. With our combined efforts,our children can become what they dream. We look forward to cooperating with you to provide students with the best opportunities available. We encourage you to follow your child’s progress closely.

Visit http://rogersow.ss5.sharpschool.com for detailed and updated information throughout the school year. A monthly school calendar and other school specific information are posted on the Old Wire link or can be obtained from the school office.

Mission Statement

Old Wire provides a safe engaging environment where students become creative, independent lifelong learners and productive community participants.

Arrival at School

Doors will open at 7:15 a.m. All students will report to the commons area for breakfast or to be seated. A teacher will be on duty. If your child will be having breakfast at school we ask that he/she arrive no later than 7:25 a.m. This will ensure that the student has enough time to eat and get to his/her class before the tardy bell rings. Students must be in their seats in the classroom before the 7:45 bell rings. Students who arrive at school before 7:15 a.m. are not supervised.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Rogers Public School District does not discriminate in its policies and programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, handicap, national origin, or ancestry. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX or Title VI, may be referred to the Equity Coordinator; 500 West Walnut, 636-3910

Attendance

Arriving late or leaving early will result in absences as follows:

· 1 tardy anytime a student is not in their room by the 7:45 a.m. bell or is checked-out prior to the dismissal bell

· 2-4 hours of missed time: ½ of an absence

· More than 4 hours of missed time: 1 absence

Please review the district handbook for the complete attendance policy.

Check-out Procedure

If a student needs to leave during the day, a parent must sign out the student in the office. The student will be called to the office. A student will be released only to the parent unless the parent has notified the school that he/she has granted permission for someone else to pick up his/her child. Identification maybe required.

Birthdays

Please DO NOT send birthday treats to school with your child. State laws now regulate and restrict foods in schools, and parents may not provide food for any student other than their own child. Parents are also discouraged from sending flowers or balloons to school for their child. Deliveries of this sort disrupt the learning process in the classroom. Flowers or balloons that do arrive will be kept in the office for the student to pick-up at the end of the day. Flowers or balloons are not allowed on school buses.

Cafeteria

* Applications for free or reduced priced meals will be sent home with each student at the beginning of the school year and are available in the office

· Parents may pay for more than one week at a time with cash or checks made out to Old Wire Elementary. All payments should be sent in a sealed envelope labeled with the student’s name, grade, and teacher’s name.

· Students will not be allowed to make phone calls for forgotten lunch money. Parents will be notified automatically (by letter) when a balance becomes negative.

· Parents having lunch in the cafeteria with their child should eat the school lunch or a prepared sack lunch from home. This will encourage participation in the nutritious school lunch program. Parents and their child will be seated at a table reserved for this purpose. Soda pop and “fast-food” sack lunches, such as “McDonald’s, are not permitted in the cafeteria.

Car Rider Procedures

Before and after school are times to be especially cautious when driving around the school. The main front doors (Old Wire Road entrance) are to be used for dropping off and picking up car riders. These procedures are in place to ensure the safety of your child, as well as the safety of others.

In the morning:

· Parents must pull up to the front of the loading zone in a single file line so that the cars behind you may also unload. Do not drop your child off in the parking lot; it is extremely dangerous!

· An Honor Guard student or adult on duty will be waiting to assist your child.

· Please ensure your child arrives no later than 7:40 in order to get to class on time.

At dismissal:

· Car riders are to wait inside the front door until their names are called.

· Cars form two lines and pull up as directed.

· Students are instructed to walk to a specific colored cone on the sidewalk where they will meet their vehicle and load.

· Any students not picked up by 3:05 p.m. will be place in after school care and the daily fee for this service will be charged to the parents.

Parents are asked not to park in the lot and walk in the building to pick-up their child unless they are taking care of other school business (i.e. talk with a teacher,business in the office, etc.). No students are ever to be picked up or dropped off in the back bus lot. This lot is for the loading and unloading of school buses and approved shuttles only. It is against Arkansas State Law for a vehicle to pass a school bus that is loading or unloading.

Change of Address, Telephone Number, or Employment

It is extremely important that every student maintain an up to date address and working phone number on file in the school office. Please contact the school immediately when information changes. It is imperative that we know how to reach you in case an emergency arises.

Concerns

Any person who feels concerned about any matter connected with Old Wire Elementary should first contact the appropriate teacher, staff member, assistant principal or principal. If the concern cannot be resolved, the Assistant Superintendent may be contacted followed by the Superintendent.

Discipline Policy

Students are expected to follow the rule,“Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.” We celebrate good choices at all times and in all places. No student will be allowed to interfere with or repeatedly disrupt the educational process of others.

· Be respectful (to everyone and to our school)

· Be ready (on time with good behavior and all needed school supplies)

· Be responsible (for yourself, your actions, and your belongings)

Cafeteria Rule: Good manners will prevail in the cafeteria and serving line at all times.

4. Students may run on the track, the soccer field, or the basketball court. In order to keep our students safe, they may not run on the mulched area.

Consequences for breaking a rule include reprimand, time-out, loss of privilege, parent notification, conference with parent, detention, in-school suspension, and suspension. A detailed Rogers School District discipline policy will be sent home with each student at the beginning of school.

Homework

Homework should be an extension of clearly defined learning goals and should be appropriate to the age, ability,and independent level of the student. The assignment is primarily to be completed by the student for independent practice outside of school time. It is the responsibility of each pupil to complete all class and homework assignments on time. Please check with your child daily for math and reading assignments. School papers are sent home in Tuesday folders.

Make-up Work: Make-up work for absent students may be supplies by the teacher and picked up by the parent in the office. Please do not interrupt a teacher’s class to ask for work. Please call the office by 9:00 a.m. to request work that may be picked up no earlier than 2:00 p.m.

Inclement Weather

In the early morning hours, during the winter, radio and television stations will begin carrying announcements by 6:00 a.m. of any school closings. Worsening weather conditions may force the early closing of schools. Should this happen, radio and television stations will carry this information. Please do not call the school. This interferes with our obtaining information and instructions from the District Office. Please devise a parent-pupil contingency plan. Please provide your child with the p roper rain gear for given days. Walkers will walk unless it is storming or a heavy downpour is occurring.

Legal Custody

If there are any custody arrangements existing regarding your child, the school must have a copy of the official court documents. These documents must be updated yearly or as specifics change.

Lost and Found

Articles found in and around the school should be turned in to the office. School personnel will place the articles in the lost and found where owners may claim their property. Unclaimed items will be donated to local charities.

Medication

School personnel cannot give any medication to students without written permission from parents. Permission forms are available in the nurse’s office. Forms should contain the name of the medication, the amount to be given, and the time it is to be given. Medication must be brought to the office in a prescription container. Please send a measuring spoon with liquid medicines.

Notes from Parents

Notes are needed when:

1. A student has been absent. (Please state the reason for the absence.)

2. You will be picking your child up early for an appointment. This allows the classroom teacher to prepare any necessary homework.

3. A student is either going home with a different student or is bringing someone home with him/her. BOTH CHILDREN MUST HAVE A NOTE.

4. You wish your child to go home in a different way than usual, or if a different person is picking him/her up at school. Children without notes will be sent home their customary way.

Parent Center

A Parent Center has been established in the library for parents to use. It contains books, brochures, videos,and other pertinent resources on a variety of parenting topics. These are available to parents at no cost. Please feel free to browse through this information and check out any items that may be of interest to you.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are held after the first and the middle of the third quarter to discuss pupil performance. However, feel free to schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher at any time.

Personal Items

Children are not to bring toys, pets,radios, or other personal items to school, unless they have special permission from their teachers. No toy weapons of any kind are allowed! Students will assume responsibility for any items brought to school.

Recess

We expect all children to go out for recess (when weather permits), unless we have a note from a physician ordering the student to “sit-out”. In extreme heat or cold, we will only be out long enough to stretch and get fresh air. Please be sure your child dresses appropriately for recess.

School Supplies

Teachers of each grade request special supplies needed for their activities. A supply list is given to each student at enrollment. Backpacks on wheels are not permitted. Students are expected to take good care of all books, equipment, and their own personal property. Parents will be assessed payment for damage done to books or to school or bus property.

Specialized Instruction and Services

Every student has library, physical education (P.E.), music, and art. For student safety, appropriate clothing and shoes should be worn on P.E. days. The school counselor is also available to students and parents.

Standardized Tests

Rogers School District pupils in kindergarten through fifth grades take the state standardized tests each year. The dates of various tests will be announced throughout the year. Because these test results are used in various aspects of your child’s educational program, please do not plan any trips or absences during the testing dates.

Student Academic Improvement Plans

In accordance with state regulations mandated by the Federal “No Child Left Behind” Act (NCLB), any student failing to achieve at the proficient level on either the state mandated Benchmark Exam (grades 3-5), Stanford 10 (grades 1-2) or Metropolitan Achievement Test (Kindergarten) shall be evaluated by school personnel. A student Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) shall be developed by the teacher and the student’s parents to assist the student in achieving the expected standard. The AIP will describe the parent’s role and responsibilities as well as the consequences for the student’s failure to participate in the plan.

Students identified for an AIP (in grades 1-5) who do not participate in the remediation program shall be retained. The local school district shall determine the extent of the required participation in remediation as set forth in the student academic improvement plan.

Any student who does not score at the proficient level on the Benchmark Exam in reading, writing and mathematics shall continue to be provided with remedial or supplemental instruction until the expectations are met or the student is not subject to compulsory school attendance. Any student who has an AIP and fails to remediate, but scores at the proficient level on the Benchmark Exam,shall not be retained.

Student Dress and Grooming

The home and school need to cooperate in the matter of dress. School is the child’s place of business, and the children who are dressed in appropriate school clothing tend to do a better job. Student dress and grooming should not interfere with the orderly conduct of the school’s activities. This includes:

· Shirts that advertise alcohol, tobacco, or have in appropriate pictures/language

· Footwear that is unsafe or shoes with cleats, high heels, or skates on the bottom (cowboy boots, sandals, and flip-flops provide very little traction and make it both difficult and dangerous to run during P.E. and recess)

· Students are encouraged to wear their Old Wire T-shirts or sweatshirts on Fridays. Pupils inappropriately dressed will need to have suitable attire brought to them or will be given clothing from the school’s clothes closet.

Transportation (Bus)

Several buses transport students toschool. It is important that students show appreciation for thisprivilege by obeying rules for bus riders and extending courtesy andshowing respect to bus drivers. Problems could lead to discontinued busservice. Parents are responsible for any misconduct at bus stops. Thebus driver may refer any student to transportation authorities and theschool principal for misbehavior, and the following consequences will beenforced:

First offence: Parent contact by letter or telephone

Second offence: One-day bus suspension ad parent contact

Third offence: 3-day bus suspension and parent contact

Fourth offense: 10-day bus suspension and parent contact

Fifth offense: 30-day bus suspension and parent contact

Sixth offence: BUS SUSPENSION FOR THE RAMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Use of School Phone

Children are asked not to use the phoneunless the teacher or the office approves an urgent need. Messages arerelayed to students.

Visitors to the Building

Parents are always welcomed but please report to the office when you enter the building. Visitors are asked towear Visitor Badges while in the building. We ask that students fromother schools or friends of students visit outside of schoolhours. Classroom interruptions during instruction times are discouragedbecause of the time on task necessary for successful learning.

Walkers

Student within Parent Responsibility Zones will either need to walk to school or be transported by parents. There will be a crossing guard at the corner of Old Wire Road and Post Road from 7:15 a.m. to 7:35 a.m. After school, the crossing guard will walkwith the entire group of walkers to the crosswalk. Students are expected to show respect of other people’s property and to go straight home and not loiter in anyone’s yard. It is important to discuss a plan for early dismissal due to bad weather and for dismissal during severe rain or storms.

Please refer to the district and school websites and monthly newsletters for calendar updates and school event dates.

ADDITIONAL SNOW DAYS MAY BE ADDED TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, IF NECESSARY.

The Rogers School District is committed to providing an environment of educational excellence where all belong, all learn, and all succeed.

Old Wire Road Elementary School

Together we are creating minds that think and hearts that care3001 S. Old Wire Road, Rogers, AR 72758479-631-3510